Car-coupling



(No Model.)

O. J. GREINER.

GAR COUPLING.

Patented Dee.'7,189'7.

we mums gums cc wuoruuwu, WASMWGTON, n cy CHARLES J. GREINER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURT.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 595,166, dated December 7, 1897.

Application filed July 12, 1397. Serial No. 614,334. (No model.)

To aZZ whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES J. GREINER, of the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvenients in Car-Couplings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to car-couplings; and it consists of the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter shown, described, and claimed.

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of myimproved car-coupling in position for use, only the sills of the car being shown and said sills being broken away to economize space. Fig. 2 is a View in perspective of a plate which I employ in attaching the car-coupling to the car. Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of a springbuifer employed behind the draw-bar. Fig. at is a view in perspective of one of the springactuated hooks. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken approximately on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken approximately on the line 6 6 of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the sliding hook, taken approximately on the line 7 7 of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a view in perspective of one of the buffers for centering the draw-bar. Fig. 9 is a top plan view of two couplings with the parts in the positions they occupy just before the coupling is made. Fig. 10 is a View analogous to Fig. 9, showing the parts in the positions they occupy after the coupling is made. Fig. 11 is a view analogous to Figs. 9 and 10 and showing the parts in the positions they occupy when the couplings are being released from each other.

Referring by numerals to the drawings, the side sills 15 and 16 of the bed of the car are connected at their forward ends by the crosssill17 and are connected a short distance back of their forward ends by the cross-sill 1S. (Shown in dotted line.) The center sill 19 (shown in dotted line) is mounted half-way between the sills l5 and 16, with its forward end attached to the cross-sill 17. A plate 20 (shown in perspective in Fig. 2) is attached to the bottom of the center sill 19 and the lugs 21 and 22 extend upwardly from the forward end of the plate 20 upon opposite sides of the center sill 19. The bolts 23 (indicated in dotted lines) are inserted downwardly through the sill 19 and through the openings 24: in the rear end of the plate 20, as required to hold the plate securely in position. The bolt 25 is inserted downwardly through the sill 19 and through the opening 26 in the forward end of the plate 20. Near the forward end of the plate 20 is a longitudinally-elongated opening 27.

The buffer 28 (shown in Fig. is attached to the lower side of the plate 20. The buffer 28 consists of the plate 29, having the apertures 30, corresponding to the apertures 24 in the plate 20, and the bolts 23 extend through said apertures 30, as required to hold the but for in position; the plate 31, extending down wardly at right angles from the forward end of the plate 29; the plates 32 and 33, extending slightly outwardly from the side edges of the plate 29 and forwardly from the side edges of the plate 31; the plate 34, extending forwardly from the lower end of the plate 31 between the lower edges of the plates 32 and 33 and to a point in vertical alinement with the front end of the plate 20; the rod 35, mounted to slide horizontally through the plate 31, above the plate 34:; the buffer-head 36, fixed upon the forward end of the rod 35; the coil-spring 37, mounted upon the rod 35 between the plate 31 and the head 36, the tension of said coil-spring being exerted to force the head 36 away from the plate 31. A longitudinally-elongated aperture 33 is formed through the forward end of the plate 34: in vertical alinement with the aperture 27 in the plate 20.

A draw-bar 39 is mounted below the sill 17, with its rear en d between the plates 20 and 34 and engaging the buffer-head 36. A pin 40 is fixed in the rear end of the draw-head, one end of said pin extending upwardly through the aperture 27 and the other end of said pin extending downwardly through the aperture 38.

The draw-bar bracket all supports the forward end of the draw-bar 39. The bracket 11 consist-s of the central portion 42, upon which the draw-bar rests and slides, the porthe portions 43.

tions 43 extending upwardly from the ends of the central portion 42 and the portions 44 extending outwardly from the upper ends of The bracket is held in position by means of screws or spikes inserted upwardly through the apertures 45 in the portions 44 into the sill 17. The brackets 46 and 47 are attached to and depend from the sill 17, near its ends and in alinement with the bracket 41. The sliding bolt 48 is slidingly mounted in bearings formed through one of the portions 43 of the bracket 41 and through the bracket 46. A sliding bolt 49 is slidingly mounted through one of the portions-43 and through the bracket 47. The bolt 48 engages the draw-bar 39 upon one side, and the bolt I 49 engages upon the opposite side of said drawbar. A plate 50 is rigidly mounted upon each of the bolts 48 and 49, outside of the portions 43. An expansive coil-spring 51 is mounted upon each of the bolts 48 and 49 between the plates 50 of the brackets 46 and 47, there being one spring to'each bracket. The tension of the springs 51 is exerted to hold the forward end of the draw-bar 39 in a central position relative to the bed of the car.

An ear 52 projects laterally from the forward end of the draw-bar 39 and is vertically apertured. A spring-actuated hook 5.3 is attached to said ear. 53 is shown in perspective in Fig. 4, and consists of the bar 54, the vertically-alined perforated ears 55, projecting horizontally from the upper and lower edges of said bar 54 at approximately its center, and the inclined plate 56, formed integral with the forward end of said bar 54 and extending horizontally across said.

bar upon an incline relative to said bar, thus forming the hook. The hook 53 is securedto the draw-bar by means of the bolt 57, inserted downwardly through the ears 55 and through the ear 52. An expansive coil-spring 5.8 is inserted between the rear end of the bar 54 and the draw-bar. A lug 59 extends laterally from the opposite side of the draw-bar 39 from the ear 52, and a lug 60 extends laterally from the draw-bar 39 a short distance behind the lug 59. The lug 60 is L-shaped in plan, while the lug 59 is triangular. The forward faceof the lug 59 is substantially upon the same angle relative to a transverse line as the forward face of the plate 56, while the rear face of the lug 59 is less inclined. The lugs 59 and 60 form a vertical dovetailed slot, and the sliding hook 61 is mounted in said dovetailed slot.

The hook 61 is of irregular shape, the essential elements of which are the faces 62 63 63 64 65, the face 62 engaging the inner face of the lug 59, the face 64 engaging the inner face of the lug 60, and the face 65 engaging the side of the draw-head, while the face 63 serves as an operative face or cam to control the. action of the coupler. At the lower end of the sliding hook 61 the faces 62 and 63 meet, as

The spring-actuated hook,

shown in Fig. 6, while at the upper end of said sliding hook the edges of the faces 62 and 63 are oifset relative to each other, thus forming the face 63 said face 63 being inclined relative to the face 62, thus forming a hook when seen in plan or section, as in Fig. 5. A plate 66 is attached to the upper end of the hook 61 to prevent said hook sliding downwardly out of a slot, and the plate 67 is attached to the lower end of said hook 61 to limit the upward movement of the hook.

The arms 68 and 69 extend downwardly from the sill 17 upon opposite sides of the drawbar. The crank-shaft 70 is mounted in bearings in the lower ends of said arms 68 and 69 and extends from one side of the car to the other, the central portion of said crank-shaft being bent downwardly in the form of a (louble crank 71 and engaging under the plate 67. WVhen the cars meet, the plate 56 of the hook 53 engages, the outer face of the lug 59 and slides outwardly until the rear end of the plate 56 passes the outer edge of the face 62 uponthe sliding hook and the rear end of the plate 56 presses inwardly against the face 63, and the cars are coupled.

Alongitudinally-extendinghorizontal aperture 72 is formed from the front face of the draw-bar 39 into the draw-bar, and a vertical aperture 73 is formed through the forward end of the draw-bar 39, intersecting the aper- {ture 72, as required to use a link-and-pin coupler.

The operation of coupling and uncoupling is clearly illustrated in Figs. 9, 10, and 11.

When it is desired to uncouple the cars, the crank-shaft 70 is operated to elevate the sliding hooks 61 until the parts are inthe position shown in Fig. 11. Then the cars maybe readily pulled apart.

I claim- 1. In a car-coupling, a draw-bar pivotally connected to the bed of the car, a buffer at th e, rear end of the draw-bar, bufiers upon op.- posite sides of the forward end of the drawbar, a spring-actuated hook attached to one side of the forward end of the draw-bar and a vertically-sliding hook attached to the 0pposite side of the forward end of the drawbar, the spring-actuated hook of one drawbar being designed to engage the sliding hook of another draw-bar as required to make an automatic coupling, substantially as specified.

2., In a car-coupling, a draw-bar, a hook yieldingly mounted upon one side of the drawbar, a hook slidingly mounted upon the opposite side of the draw-bar, the yielding hook of one draw-bar engaging the slidingv hook of another draw-bar, and means of operating said hook, substantially as specified.

3. In a car-eoupling, a draw-bar, a hook yieldingly mounted upon one side of and attached to the draw-bar, a hook slidingly mounted upon the opposite side of and attached to the draw-bar, the yielding hook of one draw-bar being designed to engage the sliding hook of another draw-bar and said sliding hook being constructed to disengage itself from the yielding hook by being elevated, and means of elevating said sliding hook, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES J. GREINER.

Witnesses:

A. J. MOOAULEY, EDWARD E. LONGAN. 

